pen mandrels

My remarks are interspersed below.

Not usually.

Usually.

The are reusable to a point. I find that no matter how careful I try to be I usually end up burnishing the bushings while sanding. After a number of times doing this the bushings end up undersized for a proper fit of the hardware.

The bushing's outside diameter are 7 mm for the slim line type pens. The inside diameter matches the mandrels diameter

See above.

Not that I've seen. Certain suppliers have kits that contain most of the bushings for pens, but then there's the letter opener, magnifying glass, perfume applicator, light pull... I find it best to purchase the bushings as needed. I make a point of getting the bushings from the same supplier where I bought the mandrel to make sure the bushings properly fit mandrel.

HTH

-- Jack Novak Buffalo, NY - USA (Remove "SPAM" from email address to reply)

Thanks Jack I got it now. appreciate your patients

Of course you can also make your own spacer/bushing now that you have a lathe. All that is needed is to purchase, get a piece of scrap steel, a bolt or a piece of mild steel rod or aluminium of the largest size bush you are likely to use. Cut the pieces to slightly over length, drill a hole in the centre of each piece to suit the mandrel shaft you have. Now either place them on the mandrel or a bolt (1/4"?) in a chuck and reduce the outside diameter to suit the size of pen etc. you want to make. Mild Steel turned at a slow speed (experiment) will scrape quite easily using a piece of HS tool steel or even a woodturning scraper. It won't do much damage, just blunts much quicker than scraping wood :-) All that now needs to be done is to tidy up the ends and make the length of the bush suit your mandrel. Have done this type of work numerus times and even faced up new faceplates that I have made using a piece of plate welded to a nut to suit my mainshaft. Cheers from 'Down Under'

====================== Jim, You'll need a different size bushing for each size project you do; 7 mm is the most commonly used size. The catalog you order from should give you the correct size for the individual style pens, etc., that you turn. The bushings are reusable -- for a while. They'll wear down as you sand or misplace the cuting tool (nobody's perfect! :-) ). The 3 are for doing both pieces at the same time; one on each end plus one in the center (some mandrels aren't long enough to do this).

Ken Moon Webberville, TX

Hello all

I have my lathe coming and pen blanks. I now need to order the pen mandrel and supplies. Who has the best deal for mandrels and kits for pen making? Preferably someone who takes PAYPAL.

Check with Woodturnings.com - it will not be on the web page, so you will have to call (an '800' number).

mike